A major Hawke's Bay taxi industry shake-up is under way with Napier Taxis driving into Hastings after joining new national brand Blue Bubble Taxis.
A fixture in the port city for more than 60 years, Napier Taxis Ltd disappears next week, changing the company name to Hawke's Bay Combined Taxis but
operating under the Blue Bubblename, effectively a franchise brand appearing in seven regions throughout the country.
Most of the 40-strong fleet gets a makeover next Saturdaywith the new livery and lights, but the company also plans on putting 10 more vehicles on the road between Havelock North and Flaxmere, head-to-head with Hastings Taxis.
The southern rival advertises a fleet of 30 taxis and nine vans and also has a long history, over 50 years.
Napier Taxis general manager Wayne England confirmed the moves, amid rumours of possible passenger service monopolies at such prime sites as Hawke's Bay Airport or servicing cruise liners at the Port of Napier, where over 70,000 passengers and 30,000 crew are expected this summer.
The Blue Bubble brand has been launched by Wellington Combined Taxis, claiming to be the country's first carboNZero certified taxi service. It has spent millions getting capital cab-ranks priority - and $1.3 million a year to secure nearest ranks to Wellington Airport passenger exits.
But no such deals are yet understood to be in place in Hawke's Bay.
Mr England said the Napier Taxis fleet, which has minimal competition in Napier from rival operators Star and Baywide, already had some business in Hastings and new drivers in the area would have the required "area knowledge".
Napier and Hastings have in the past been in merger talks which have not come to fruition.
Although the Napier company has Hawke's Bay rights to nationwide taxi billing system TaxiCharge, which does not involve the Hastings company, Mr England said the link to Blue Bubble came by coincidence.
With 24/7 coverage through one phone number and a computerised despatch system, Blue Bubble Taxis could operate anywhere in the Napier-Hastings area.
Hastings taxi operator and new Hastings Taxis manager David Greville was unable to be contacted for comment.
